Anutin: Phuket Sandbox remains on course - three tests for already vaccinated foreign tourists - 14 days on island

[Phaser]

Makes zero sense. 

[poskat]

phuket is open in theory, however, the hurdles that the tourists must overcome, and closures they must endure will continue until the powers that be decide that the property values and prices of a business for sale are low enough to come in and do their big buy up.

 

then all aspects of phuket will miraculously re-open

[madmitch]

It's about time they announced the list of coutries that are on the acceptable list.

 

Interestingly Thai Airways has India on it's list of incoming flights.

[ozfarang]

12 minutes ago, Destiny1990 said:

Again They “worry” about vaccinated tourists instead of on their own unvaccinated bunch.

How true.

This from Richard Barrow a short time ago, says it all really regarding the vaccination level of the people in Phuket

 

Edited June 15, 2021 by ozfarang

[crazykopite]

3 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

According to the tourism experts Anutin and Phiphat, the best way to attract more tourism, and re-vitalize the devastated industry, is to raise the hurdles. Make it harder for tourists, and it will increase their desire to visit. Wow. Such a simple concept. Brilliant. 

 

Add to that the fact that both Samui and Phuket are devastated at the moment, with thousands of closed businesses and no nightlife, and that make those places even more attractive. Maybe these slugs are smarter than we thought. 

You can include Koh Phangan and Koh Tao on that list people are so desperate they are trying to sell anything they have to make ends meet absolutely no help coming from the government I even read 6 million had registered for the food discount in the first 50 minutes of it opening that shows you how desperate thing have got as for the deputy pm it’s time the men in white coats took him away to a secure unit he’s lost the plot !

[vandeventer]

3 hours ago, petermik said:

Living in a dreamworld if they expect tourists in any numbers to come and put up with that.....

Tourist are like vaccines nowhere to be found.

[ThailandRyan]

3 hours ago, Shuya said:

Fully vaccinated and 4 PCR tests at around THB 4'000 per person each (including pre-departure). There will be millions of tourists waiting for the privilege to come to holiday on a island where everything is closed and staying in specially "approved" hotels at an extra cost. 

Family of 4 would run an extra $1,000 USD just to be tested and then if one of them is hospitalized because they tested positive, well then thar she blows....what a true cockup this will be.  Three friends that were headed to Phuket on July 15th for 4 weeks of Muay Thai training from California have now canceled, as the extra expense of tests and the possibility they might test positive, even though vaccinated, was just to much for them as they have jobs to return to in the middle of August.  They are going to Cozumel instead.

Edited June 15, 2021 by ThailandRyan

[misterphil]

So no different to vaccinated and unvaccinated. Total farse. 

[crazykopite]

1 hour ago, bermondburi said:

As a fully vaccinated traveler, I wouldn't care about the unvaccinated. Why would I?

For your info some 20 people have died in the U.K. even though they had been vaccinated twice due to the latest Indian Covid virus just because you’ve had two jabs your not immune to getting Covid the vaccine is there to help strengthen your immune system it’s not a vaccine to stop you from getting Covid 

Edited June 15, 2021 by crazykopite

[BestB]

And he strikes again. How is it on course when 50% have already cancelled upon learning the new idiotic rules and the other 50% have not cancelled only because they have not heard the new idiotic rules yet but most likely will once they hear about it.

 

 

[KarenBravo]

How long do these plonkers think Western tourists take for a holiday?

Usually about ten days, so that they have enough days for a holiday around Xmas and New Year. That ten days is usually spent in multiple locations within the country.

The average stay for all tourists that come to Phuket is 4.9 days.

 

As being an official seems more like a paid holiday, rather than actual work, they have no conception of this fundamental problem. Not in charge of their own movements for 14 days, tracking devices and paying for more tests? No one in any numbers to make a difference will come.

Watch the blame game and laugh up your sleeve when these officials realise their failure and watch the finger-pointing.

My guess is that Anutin will be the person with no chair when the music stops.

Edited June 15, 2021 by KarenBravo

[cedel]

3 hours ago, Shuya said:

Fully vaccinated and 4 PCR tests at around THB 4'000 per person each (including pre-departure). There will be millions of tourists waiting for the privilege to come to holiday on a island where everything is closed and staying in specially "approved" hotels at an extra cost. 

I'm still waiting for the "1$" per night rooms proposed a few weeks ago for the Phuket "sandbox" lol

[brommers]

3 hours ago, LivinLOS said:

 

No they said half of 29k cancelled.. However there was never 29k booked, its all just numbers plucked from thin air.. 

Non they said 29 000 which amounted to half the bookings of nearly 60 000. And you can bet there were more cancellations when it was announced that bars etc would remain shut. Anutin and the rest in government are intellectual pygmies who have no concept of reality.

[diks]

6 minutes ago, crazykopite said:

For your info some 20 people have died even they had been vaccinated twice due to the latest Indian Covid virus just because you’ve had two jabs your not immune to getting Covid the vaccine is there to strengthen your immune system

Hmm, but you said the vaccination is there to strengthen your immune system.

[cedel]

3 hours ago, xtof2 said:

Anutin, let's do 1 test per day.

Just to be on the safe side.

 

at the cost of Anutin of course, he is rich and does not live in the same world than those "nasty" farangs...

[ajarnmarc]

I guess the tourism authority missed the memo, where for years several posts (I'll be conservative here) were made that Phuket was the island to avoid at all cost. I lived there for two years, and though the island had many places to visit and explore, the local were not as great as in other location within Thailand. The pandemic hasn't improve the hospitality found there in the least, in fact some could consider if the local are even ready or interested in entertaining tourist again. They seem to have gotten used to their island all to themselves. Sure they could use the extra revenue, though not if it requires them to do anything for it. Same motto as before, where service was very low on the priority of the businesses found around the island. The moral of this post is, the island itself may behold outdoor adventures, not much to be found indoors that is of interest, and the people are not inclined to make anyone feel comfortable about their stay. It's a retail money grab situation, and the people are not in the least bit shy to show it. Local motto there is "up to you" which basically translates to- pay and move along, if you like what we offer great and if not we don't care much.... 

I would never return there, two years was enough time wasted there for me. 

 

[Tradewind777]

Sandbox looks more like a $h!tstorm to me. Force the tourists to fit your objectives (oh we will end up with double the revenue) while forgetting the tourists also happen to have objectives (and options!). The result? A halving of what would have been a good start. These guys are a law unto themselves and the sandbox would be better used as kitty litter. OMG they are dumb, so dumb!

[ericdiam]

It has been proven on a mass testing Scale that pfizer Moderna and AZ are only effective for 33% after first jab. It only after getting second jab that with all 3 it improved a lot. So Europe and UK reduced the time to get second shot of AZ from 12 to 8 weeks or less. 

Here the stupid monkeys extend it to 16. 

I'm 100% sure we will go for 3 wave in Phuket. 

And really zero tourists will come. 90% of Europe is back open with zero quarantine. 

Who gone want fly here and then even need spent much extra money on testing. NOBODY!!

The sandbox is big monkey joke!!!

[Almer]

4 hours ago, Somtamnication said:

What a circus. I live in a Thai village, no foreigners to be seen. The locals are desperate. These are normal people who do normal work with daily expenses. It is a powder keg ready to......(fill in the gap).

Go pop?

[Almer]

17 minutes ago, cedel said:

I'm still waiting for the "1$" per night rooms proposed a few weeks ago for the Phuket "sandbox" lol

For 1$ a night i will sell the house and live in the sandbox

[anchadian]

When you hear officials claim that 61% of people in Phuket are vaccinated, remind them that this is NOT fully vaccinated. Only 28.1% have had both jabs. Also, don’t forget they need to wait 2 weeks before its becomes effective. Somehow I don’t think they will reach 70% by 1 July.

 

https://twitter.com/RichardBarrow/status/1404684826133766144

 

[spidermike007]

3 hours ago, LivinLOS said:

 

No they said half of 29k cancelled.. However there was never 29k booked, its all just numbers plucked from thin air.. 

True. Likely only 2,900 booked, with Samui and Phuket combined. And 1,900 cancelled. That leaves 500 per island. 

[spidermike007]

The required tests should be free of charge. To mark this service up is both brain dead, and felonious. 

[Cranky]

Who on earth nicknamed this 'The Sandbox? An area associated with the Middle East that is about as savoury as worms for breakfast.

[smedly]

4 hours ago, actonion said:

Why does this lot seem to think   the world is queing up to visit Thailand & why would any fully vaccinated tourist want to holiday  in a country where  most of the population have'nt been vaccinated?

and just to add 

 

The locals have freedom to travel where they want untested and unvaccinated and yet fully vaccinated foriegners are basically in quarantine - go figure 

[smedly]

43 minutes ago, crazykopite said:

For your info some 20 people have died in the U.K. even though they had been vaccinated twice due to the latest Indian Covid virus

source ?

 

I suspect it is not as simple as you are making out and likely out of context 

[spidermike007]

There is a fundamental principal here, none of the nitwits seem to have comprehended. And some of us were optimistic there would be at least he some humility learned from the devastation caused by the tourism market sabotage of Prayuth, Phiphat & Anutin. PPA. Putting the People Absolutely last. 

 

The principal is, Thailand needs the world 20X more than the world needs Thailand. 

 

The world can live without Thailand. Can Thailand live with an utterly gutted tourism industry? Long term? What if the industry never recovers? I predict it will recover to 20% of its former levels, within 5 years. 5-8 million arrivals total, in 2026.

[diks]

6 minutes ago, smedly said:

source ?

 

I suspect it is not as simple as you are making out and likely out of context 

the number may not be entirely correct but here is a link: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9681613/Study-shows-29-people-died-catching-new-strain-vaccinations.html

[spidermike007]

Dear Anutin. Perhaps you can volunteer to pay for the tests, out of your own personal fortune? You said you were sincere about helping the nation recover, right? Come on. Where are the personal sacrifices? Man up, little guy. 

[worldview]

Does anyone in these departments that are supposed to know what they are doing, actually know what they are doing?? - what kind of thought process do they go thru to come up with this convoluted mess? - do they actually sit there and tell themselves that "oh, yes, this is a great idea!" - or, are they so afraid of the people in charge that no one will speak up - we saw how they threatened the doctor for her posting about 'a certain individual' on her FB page - I have to assume that no one in these departments is willing to tell the powers that be that their ideas make no sense??